NDLI: Conservation of a phenomenon: rapid, reversible colour change in both sexes of one of the world’s most threatened damselflies

Content Provider	Springer Nature Link
Author	Deacon, Charl Samways, Michael J.
Copyright Year	2016
Abstract	Physiological colour change is rare in insects. Unusually, both the males and females of Spesbona angusta (Odonata: Platycnemididae), Red Listed as Endangered, are capable of rapid and reversible colour change. There is only one known population of this species, which occurs in a unique habitat in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa. Appreciation of this unusual phenomenon of distinct physiological colour change helps us appreciate that we need to conserve phenomena in the insect world as well as the species themselves. Using controlled experiments, we evaluated the importance of ambient temperature as the possible primary cue for physiological colour change. We found that S. angusta responds rapidly to short-term changes in ambient temperature, even in the absence of additional environmental stimuli and without the body temperature matching the ambient temperature. Colour change is reversible when temperature returns to its earlier level. The reason why S. angusta shows this rapid and reversible colour change may be a combination of reproductive enhancement, competitive advantage and thermoregulation. This colour change appears to have strong selective advantage in a very particular habitat type, meaning that careful conservation of its habitat in all respects is important, and must be considered in any possible future translocations.
Starting Page	497
Ending Page	504
Page Count	8
File Format	PDF
ISSN	1366638X
Journal	Journal of Insect Conservation
Volume Number	20
Issue Number	3
e-ISSN	15729753
Language	English
Publisher	Springer International Publishing
Publisher Date	2016-06-04
Publisher Place	Cham
Access Restriction	One Nation One Subscription (ONOS)
Subject Keyword	Spesbona angusta Odonata Platycnemididae Physiological colour change Cape Floristic Region Predator avoidance Reproductive enhancement Insect conservation Entomology Conservation Biology/Ecology Biodiversity Animal Ecology Life Sciences
Content Type	Text
Resource Type	Article
Subject	Ecology Animal Science and Zoology Nature and Landscape Conservation Insect Science

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